The Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) is urging the Jamaican Government to immediately suspend negotiations surrounding its controversial third-country nationals (TCN) agreement with the United States, arguing that the process has lacked transparency and meaningful public consultation.
In a statement released on Sunday, the JCC said the Government should cease negotiations until Jamaicans are fully informed about the proposed arrangement. The Council is calling on the administration to publish the complete memorandum of understanding, along with all operational guidelines governing the transit programme, so the public can properly assess its implications.
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The Council also expressed concern about what it described as inconsistencies in the Government’s explanations of how the programme would operate, particularly regarding the movement and processing of third-country deportees. It said greater clarity is needed before any further steps are taken.
In addition, the JCC urged the Government to publicly reaffirm its commitment to the international principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to countries where they may face persecution, torture, or other serious harm. The Council said Jamaica must ensure that any immigration arrangement fully complies with its international human rights obligations.
The church body’s intervention adds to growing opposition from several sectors of Jamaican society, including trade unions, civil society organizations, and other religious leaders, who have questioned both the substance of the agreement and the manner in which it was negotiated. Critics have repeatedly called for the Government to table the agreement in Parliament and provide greater public accountability.
The controversy stems from Jamaica’s agreement with the United States to temporarily receive small groups of third-country nationals being deported from the U.S. as they transit to their countries of origin. Prime Minister Andrew Holnesshas maintained that the agreement serves Jamaica’s national interests and that the country was neither pressured nor coerced into signing it.
